A
family heirloom, the buffet was restored and repurposed by Sosa
Agnoli. "It became the inspiration for the room," she
says. "It really grounds the space; it has that old, heavy
feel to it, which I loved." Modern lamps, classic mirrors and
a streamlined dining table complement the piece.

When Veronica Sosa
Agnoli and her husband, Robert Conley, bought their Pewaukee home four
years ago, its interior was cast in red and gold hues, loud wallpaper
covered the walls, and honey-oak woodwork framed every window and door.
Armed with a clear passion for interior design, Sosa Agnoli got to work,
transforming the previously dated space into one that now exudes an easy
breezy sense of comfort and casual elegance. Here’s how.

Flood the space
with natural light. "I’m not from Wisconsin, so I need a lot of
light. Winters here are very hard for me," says Sosa Agnoli, who
was born and raised in Argentina.

For
homeowner Veronica Sosa Agnoli, the kitchen is the hub of the
home. "The home is your kitchen, and I want my son to grow up
with my cooking and the smells of my cooking,"

she says.

Stick with
traditional, neutral tones. And complement the overall style of the
home. "The home is a Cape Cod, which uses more natural-type
materials reminiscent of a relaxed, comfortable home environment,"
she says. "I wanted the kitchen to be functional, classic and warm,
so I brought natural materials into the design."

Embrace greenery.
Strategically positioned bird of paradise plants further enhance the
home’s natural, casual feel. "(The plants) are beautiful, but
they’re not perfect — that adds an element to the room that makes it
feel more real and lived-in," Sosa Agnoli adds.

"I’m
so far away from home, so having the tea room was really important
to me," Sosa Agnoli explains. "Maté is a very big
Argentinian tradition, and for us, (that room is) a place to read,
to write — a family space."

Focus on the feel
and flow. It may be difficult, but look past dated decor when buying an
existing home. "If you can get past the decor, (try to) just focus
on the feel and flow of the home," Sosa Agnoli advises.

Stay true to your
roots. "I feel like every room should have a piece of you or your
family in it," she says. Accessories that remind her of home,
including framed, original documents from when her great-grandmother
immigrated from Italy to Argentina, are peppered throughout the space. m